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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

G. J APPLETON. FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR GIROULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

No. 425,362. Patented Apr. 8,1890.

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(N0 Model.) 28heets-Sheet 2.

0; J. APPLBTON.

FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOB. GIR-GULAR KNITTING MAGHINES.

No. 425,362. Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

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UNITED STATES FFlCE,

PATENT CHARLES J. APPLETON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO E. KARELSENS SONS, OF SAME PLACE.

FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR ClRCULAR-KNlTTING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,362, dated April 8, 1890.

Application filed July 31, 1889. Serial No. 319,309. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES J. APPLETON, of the city, county, and State of New York, a citizen of the-United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Attachments for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved yarn or thread feeding devices for circular-knitting machines for making seamless hosiery, and

more especially stockings with re-enforced parts along the lowerhalf of the stocking, the invention being designed to accomplish the automatic supply of the re-enforcing thread to the needles while knitting the re-enforced part of the article; and the invention consists of the combination of a stationary segmental cam attached to the bed-plate of the knittingmachine and corresponding in length to the circumference of that part of the stocking which is to he re-enforced, a needle-cylinder, needles guided in the same, a rotary camcylinder, an oscillating guide for the re-enforcing thread. means for oscillating the thread-guide in connection with the stationary cam on the bed-plate, and a segmental thread-guard for guiding the re-enforcing thread while the same is not supplied to the needles which knit the plain mire-enforced part of the stocking. The oscillating guide for the re-enforcing thread is moved over the nee dies when the re-enforcin g thread is to be knit ted into the fabric and moved inwardly away from the same, so that the re-enforcing thread is not supplied to the remaining needles, which motion is accomplished by the action of a vertically-reciprocated slide-piece on the shank of the oscillating thread guide. The thread-guard is attached to a fixed upright standard on the cam-cylinder, and in such relative position to the thread-guide that the re-enforcing thread is conducted from the last needle to which the re-enforcing thread is supplied to the first needle which receives again the re-enforcing thread.

The invention consists, further, of novel mechanism by which the thread-guide is oscillated at the proper time for supplying the reenforcing thread to the needles which knit off the re-enforced portion of the stocking.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a knitting-ma chine with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1; and Figs. 3, 4-, 5, 6, and 7 are details of the oscillating threadguide and its actuating mechanism and of the thread-guard, showing them in different relative positions to each other and the needlecylinder.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. I

Referring to the drawings, A represents the stationary bed-plate, B the rotary cam-cylinder, and O the needle-cylinder, of a circu' lar-knitting machine for making seamless hosiery. The needles C are guided in the usual manner in grooves of the needle-cylinder and supplied with the ordinary knittingthread from a yarn-guide of the usual construction, which is not shown in the drawings.

The bed-plate A is provided with a stationary cam a of segmental shape, said cam being of a size corresponding to the width of the circumference of that part of the articles which is to be re-enforced. The cam a is made detachable, so as-to be interchangeable with other cams of greater or smaller size. The ends of the cam a are inclined,so as to facilitate the passing of the anti-friction roller e at the lower end of the slide-piece E of the oscillating thread-guide F over said cam.

The slide-pieceE is guided in a dovetailed groove of an upright standard D, which is attached to the cam-cylinder B. From the upper end of the dovetailed slide-piece E extends at right angles thereto in inward direction a short arm E, that is forked at its end and provided with a fixed transverse pin e, that engages an inclined slot 6 011 the fiattened shank f of the oscillating thread-guide F, said shank being pivoted to the forked end of a short inwardly-extending arm D of the upright standard 1), as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The thread-guide F is curved in such a manner as to extend over the needles of the needlecylinder 0, its curvature being clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5 of the drawings. The threadgnide F is provided at its lower end with an eyef for the reenforcingthread, which is supplied from a bobbin 8 on a spindle 9, that is attached to a bracket of the upright st. ndard D, said thread being passed over a springtension 7 in the usual manner and then through the eye of the thread-guide, as shown in Fig. 1. g

The thread-guide F is oscillated by the action of the cam a on the slide-piece D and the action of the pin 6' of the latter on the slotted shank of the thread-guide F, and moved in outward direction over the raised needles of the needle-cylinder C, so as to supply the extra re-enforcin g thread to the same, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7, while it is moved inwardly away from the needles, as shown in Fig. 6, when the re-enforcing thread is not to be supplied to the needles. This is the case when the anti-friction roller e of the vertical slide-piece E is not in contact with the cam a.

When it is desired to use the knitting-machine for ordinary seamless work without the re-enforcing thread, the slide-piece E is permanently raised, so as not to come in contact with the cam a. by a pivoted cam-lever 6 which engages a pin e on the slide-piece E, said pin being guided in a slot e of the standard D, as shown in Figs. 3 and at. The pin 6 is connected by a spiral spring c with a lug of the standard D, and said spring tends to keep the roller e at the lower end of the slide-piece E in contact with the cam a of the bed-plate A. To the arm D of the standard D is attached a segmental thread-guard G, which is first bent in downward direction and then extended concentrically to the needles inside of the needle-cylinder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said thread-guard beinglocated below the thread-guide and adapted to guide the re-enforcing thread, while the same is not taken up by the needles and hold it in position for entering the needles when the threadgnide F is moved outwardly over the same, as shown in Fig. 7. The thread-guard G is called into action during the tiniewhen the re-enforcin g thread is conducted across the inside of the needle-cylinder from the last needle to which the re-enforcing thread is fed to the first needle, which receives the same again for producing the re-enforced part of of the fabric. In other words, the re-enforcing thread passes along the thread-gu ard G during the time while the thread-guide F is in its inward position away from the needles and while the slidepiece E moves over that part of the bed-plate A between the ends of the cam a. The reenforcing thread is thereby prevented from being supplied to the intermediate series of needles. As soon as the slide-piece E is raised 1 again by the cam a the thread-guide F is moved outwardly and over the needles, and thereby the re-enforcing thread fed again to the remaining series of needles, so as to be knit 01f with the ordinary thread and form thereby the re-enforced part of the fabric.

'When knitting the heel and toe, the re-enforcing attachment is thrown out of operation by lifting the slide-piece E by means of the cam-lever e NVhen a stocking or other article is finished, the cross-threads which extend from the last stitch at one 'side oflthe re-enforced portion of the stocking to the first stitch at the other side of the same are cut off close to the web, as will appear more fully by reference to a pending application for a seamless re-enforced stocking filed by me on December 15, 1888, Serial No. 293,667.

The attachment for knitting in the re-enforcing thread works equallywell whether the machine is run in one or the other direction. It facilitates the knitting of seamless hosiery with re-enforcing thread and permits the quick and uniform production of the same in the ordinary circular-knitting machines.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a needle-cylinder, needles disposed therein, a cam-cylinder, an auxiliary thread-guide for the re-enforcing thread, means for oscillating the thread-guide to move it toward and from the needles, anda thread-guard below the thread-guide for conducting the re-enforcing thread from the last re-enforced stitch at one side of the web to the first re-enforced stitch at the other side thereof.

2. The combination of a bed-plate, a needlecylinder, needles disposed therein, a cam-cylinder, an upright standard attached thereto, a slide movable verticallyin said standard, an auxiliary thread guide pivoted to the standard and engaged by said slide, and a segmental camfor actuating said slide, said cam being detachable from the bed-plate,

whereby it is interchangeable for one of different length.

3. The combination of a bed-plate having a stationary segmental cam, a rotary cam-cylinder, a needle cylinder, need es disposed therein, an upright standard attached to the cam-cylinder, an auxiliary thread-guide for,

the re-enforcing thread pivoted to the upper i no end of said standard and provided with a slot in its shank, and a vertical reciprocating slide engaged at its lower end by said cam and provided at its upper end with a pin which engages the slotted shank of'said auxiliary thread-guide.

4. The combination of a needle-cylinder, needles disposed therein, a cam-cylinder, an upright standard attached to the cam-cylinder, an oscillating thread-guide pivoted to said standard, meansfor oscillating the threadguide, and a segmental thread-guard supported by said standard below the thread- TCO guide for conducting the re-enforcing thread from the last re-enforcing stitch at one side of the fabric to the first re-enforcing stitch at the otherside of the fabric.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. A'PPLETON. Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, MARTIN PETRY. 

